- 作者: Michael M.C. Lai
- 作者服務機構: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Imunology, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, Calif., USA, and OFfice of the Vice President and Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taiwan, ROC
- 中文摘要: --
- 英文摘要: Severe acute respiratory syndrome(SARS)virus causeda severe outbreak in several regions of the world in 2003.The virus is a novel coronavirus, which may have an ori-gin in wild animals such as civet cats in southern China.Its genome structure, gene expression pattern and pro-tein profiles are similar to those of other coronaviruses.However, distinct patterns of several open readingframes in the SARS virus genome may contribute to itssevere virulence.The potential mutability of the corona-virus genome may pose problems in the control of futureSARS outbreaks.The mechanism of SARS pathogenesismay involve both direct viral cytocidal effects on the tar-get cells and immune-mediated mechanisms.The lifecycle of the SARS virus is largely unknown;however,based on the analogy with other coronaviruses, severalpotential targets for antiviral development are identified.Vaccines offer an important preventive measure for pos-sible future recurrences of SARS, but the prospect fortheir development is still unknown because of the uncer-tainty regarding the role of immune responses in SARSvirus pathogenesis. The comparative studies of othercoronaviruses offer insights into the understanding ofSARS virus.
- 中文關鍵字: --
- 英文關鍵字: Severe acute respiratory syndrome. Coronavirus. Taxonomy. Origin. RNA. Viral proteins. Genetics. Mutations. Pathogenesis. Replication. Drug Targets. Vaccines